Basketball backstops are frequently used in gymnasiums and assembly halls in which basketball games are conducted, but which are also used for other purposes. It is often desirable to move the basketball backstops to positions offering an unobstructed view of some activity, such as a musical performance, speech, or play, occurring in an area of the gymnasium or assembly hall. For such activities, it is desirable to use the same seating as is used when the gymnasium, or assembly hall, is used to conduct basketball games. To leave the basketball backstops in their use positions would result in an obstructed view of non-basketball activities for many patrons. Thus, the basketball stops are, in many modern gymnasiums and assembly halls, mounted from the ceiling to swing between their use positions and hoisted or stored positions adjacent the ceiling or some other non-obstructing orientation. Apparatus for supporting and permitting folding of such basketball backstops is of various types which can generally be classified in three categories: forward-folding, backward-folding, and side-folding.
Each folding apparatus for a particular backstop is provided with a hoisting mechanism having a winding drum with a cable which is reeled in and out to effect the raising and lowering or lateral movement of the backstop. While some of the hoisting mechanisms may be cranked by hand or portable operator, most designs include a reversible electric motor-brake, a gear arrangement and limit switches for setting the upper and lower limits of travel for the folding apparatus. Each hoisting mechanism is typically mounted high on a supporting wall or ceiling adjacent the folding apparatus, and has low voltage electrical wires which are run through a conduit down to a dedicated control at eye level on the gymnasium or assembly hall floor. In order to move the basketball backstop on its folding apparatus, one has to hold a momentary key or flip switch in one of two positions until that single backstop is slowly moved into the desired position. This tedious procedure must be repeated for each backstop and hoisting mechanism and usually requires an operator to walk from one switch to the next, each being generally positioned beneath the backstop. Manufacturers have remained reluctant to provide automatic start/stop on their controls because of their worry regarding liability for damage to the backstop, wall, ceilings, etc., should the control fail to stop at the end of travel. Although there are some hoisting mechanisms which may be activated and deactivated by remote control, it remains necessary to use one control for moving any one basketball backstop. This becomes a time consuming nuisance, particularly if there are multiple, movable backstops to control as is generally the case in a gymnasium or assembly hall.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a control for ganging together all of the backstop hoisting mechanisms so as to allow an operator to move the mechanisms and their backstops synchronously as a group. It is also desirable to provide a control which first interlocks a select group of hoisting mechanisms and then employs a single button to move the backstops in unison between stored and use positions. It is further desirable to provide a control which will prevent simultaneous movement of the backstops in opposite directions.